1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a printing apparatus for making printing on paper in using a print head upon mounted with a detachably attachable ink cartridge and, more particularly, to an impact printer or an inkjet printer enabling to guide certainly paper near the print head.
2. Description of Related Art
As a printing apparatus upon installed with a ribbon cartridge, there has conventionally been an apparatus such as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JA-H8-318,666, in which the ribbon cartridge as well as the print head are installed to a carriage and printing is operated while moving the carriage. On the apparatus of this type, a feed roller is arranged near the print head to load smoothly a paper to a position to be printed with the print head. Furthermore, a paper guide is also arranged near the print head to convey smoothly curled paper or dog-eared paper as well.
Where the paper guide is arranged near the carriage, when the ribbon cartridge is attached or detached, the ribbon cartridge hits against the paper guide, so that the ribbon cartridge cannot be attached or detached. Therefore, a position at which the ribbon cartridge is attached and detached, i.e., an attaching and detaching position, is conventionally predetermined to attach or to detach the ribbon cartridge thereat. The paper guide is not disposed near the print head at the attaching and detaching position.
Where replacing the ribbon cartridge, the carriage is moved to the predetermined attaching and detaching position, and the ribbon cartridge is detached from the carriage. A new ribbon cartridge is then installed to the carriage. In this bout, the paper guide does not prevent the replacement of the ribbon cartridge since not disposed near the carriage. It is to be noted that the ribbon cartridge's attaching and detaching position is disposed within a range of paper conveyance.
However, with the conventional apparatus as described above, since the ribbon cartridge's attaching and detaching position is disposed in the range of the paper conveyance, the curled paper is held, where guided, at the ribbon cartridge attaching and detaching position, so that there has been such a problem as causing the paper to get damaged, folded, or jammed. Where the attaching and detaching portion for the ribbon cartridge is disposed out of the range of the paper conveyance to avoid such a problem, the apparatus becomes larger in size.
Furthermore, since the paper guide is not disposed at the ribbon cartridge's attaching and detaching position, a sensor for detecting the paper cannot be disposed to the paper guide. Thus, there has been such a problem also, as limiting a paper detection control.